Beach Cleaning and Goodbye

Today, we were helping COAST, Community Of Arran Seabed Trust, in Lamlash to clean and record the rubbish we found on the beach. After eating breakfast, we donned our waterproofs and caught the bus from Brodick to Lamlash however we were missing Rob who had to go and rescue Wally after his van refused to start. 

We met Jenny from COAST at the tennis courts in Lamlash, the new offices of the charity where we were able to climb up a ladder to the attic to see amazing views of the Holy Isle across the bay. Jenny explained to us about the "No Take Zone" and the further goals and missions of the charity which has expanded in recent years and is trying to do more to preseve the unique marine life of the island. The No Take Zone was established to protect the fragile seabed by not allowing any marine life to be taken from the area which has allowed wildlife to thrive with larger lobsters having been recorded each year since the zone was created which was the first of its kind in Scotland. As well as this, they have created a Marine Protection Zone which encompassed the waters surrounding the southern half of the island where only sustainable fishing methods can be used.

When Rob and Wally finally arrived, we set off down the beach, armed with bin bags, gloves and litter pickers. After stopping for lunch and catching sight of a pair of otters swimming in the bay we began to clean. Undeterred by the rain showers we spent the next two hours picking up and recording litter of all shapes and sizes. Some of the best finds included a pair of comedy glasses, a makeshift anchor made of a brick in a bottle, and a single abandoned boot. 

Once we had finished our beach clean and had lugged the bags back to the office, we ventured into Lamlash to get some well earned refreshments. Half the group made a pit stop at the Co-op while the rest headed to a local ice cream shop for double scoop cones which were gone in minutes.

A short bus journey and a walk later we were back at the lodge for a highly anticipated meal of fajitas and nachos which was a great success even if the number of wraps was limited. 

Although we are sad to that our time in Arran is coming to an end, it has been an amazing and unforgettable experience despite the midges and the constant threat of being bitten by a tick. We have all loved getting to know each other and many thanks are due to Rob and Wally for all their organisation, encouragement and knowledge that we have benefited immensely from. 

So it is goodbye to Arran tomorrow but we'll definitely be back soon!

Monday 14th August 2017

Today, we were helping The National Trust of Scotland with conservation of their estate within the Brodick Castle grounds. We were clearing away large areas of gorse bush in order to allow the highland cattle more space to graze and move. The weather conditions were challenging with spells of heavy rain and wind. However we persevered through this and cleared two weeks of normal ranger work within 5 hours. This was a valuable lesson in terms of the rewards of determination and hard work. We are very proud of what we have achieved today and we have all gained new skills from the experience. We all enjoyed working as a team and helping to conserve the environment and are looking forward to supporting Arran's natural beauty further, later in the week.

This evening we are all very tired however are feeling well fed after a delicious chilli con carne that was made by one of our teams of three and we are now ready for a well deserved good nights sleep.

When 14 were let loose on Arran!

Today we were split into three groups and were let loose around three sections of Arran; Lochranza in the North, Lamlash in the South-East and Blackwaterfoot in the West.

The group sent to Lochranza, first paid a visit to the castle by the sea. it was a 12th century building that had been modified in the 16th century, making it more defensible and with more features on the inside. we then explored the church, which had been modified several times over its history between 1560 and 1918. One such building had the remains of its dead buried within the walls of the church itself which was interesting to learn. We then climbed the hill on the west side and walked past the oldest craft shop in Lockranza called The Stoneman, then continued on to look for Huttons Unconformity, a geological structure that at the time of its discovery, significantly changed our understanding about the true age of the earth. We saw a variety of wildlife including wildflowers, birds and insects such as butterfly's before we had to run back to catch our bus.


In Lamlash, we first saw the Clearances memorial, which was put there to remember the clearances which occurred between 1829 and 1840 where many people were forcibly removed from their homes to make room for livestock. As a result of this, many people emigrated to Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. We then visited Hamilton Terrace, Lamlash Church of Scotland and then went to the beach to look at flowers. We then explored the pier and Lamlash Bay, looking over to the Holy Isle. Lamlash Bay is Scotland's first "No Take Zone" meaning that it is a marine area protected from human disturbance. After that, we went to the cemetery and visited the Chapel Ruins, before coming back to catch our bus back to Shore Lodge.

After taking the bus from Brodick Ferry Terminal Station, we walked along the beach at Blackwaterfoot and saw either a female or a juvenile otter! After this, we walked through the golf course and into a field of noisy sheep. We then joined the beach once more and found some natural arches and a bit further on was the King's Cave which has carvings inside which date back to the 5th or 6th century. Outside the cave were Buddhist meditation pebble towers as there is a large Buddhist population here on Arran. We traced back our steps and went through a jungle of ferns to try to find an iron age natural fort. We didn't realise, but we in fact walked all over it! After this, we walked back along the beach and as we walked quicker than expected, we stopped off in the Harbour Shop with Maureen and Ethel and got an ice-cream before heading back on the bus to Shore Lodge.




Later in the evening, we went for a walk around the grounds of Brodick Castle and discussed the different types of foliage the geology around the castle. We even saw the barn owl that nests in a tree on the grounds.

Goatfell

Today we all woke up early to start our day by having breakfast and making our lunch for the day. Soon after we tided out dishes and left to go and search for animals by the beach. We so many seals including the grey seal and common seal while we were watching through our binoculars. After about half-hour we headed back to the lodge where we got ready to leave and climb up Goatfell. We left to reach the bus stop to get the 11:00 bus to Corrie. The walk to the summit was 2 1/2 miles. We also started with high spirits as we went up the hill. As we were walking up we saw many different types of plants including the sundrew. At 13:45 we stopped for lunch on a large rock slab to stop the ticks however this did not stop the midges attacking us while having our lunch. We continued on after lunch and started the steep ascent towards the summit. Once we reached the summit we saw some beautiful sights around the Arran and we even saw Northern Ireland. After taking in the sights we started the steep accent of the hill where we jumped down the path to get back to the lodge. While jumping down we spotted some butterwart. We soon later reached the lodge where we all had a nice shower and had a great meal made by group 2 of thai green curry and ginger cake with custard. Also Rob got a tick today.

Arrival on the Isle of Arran

After travelling from around the globe to sunny Scotland, today marks the day that we all set off to start our Arran adventure.

Meeting at Glasgow Central station, it looked like a 14 year old's school disco, boys on one side, girls on the other. Following the grease mega mix + I got a feeling, Black Eyed Peas, we all hopped onto the ferry.

After surviving the choppy seas with luckily just windswept hair, we hit the shores of Arran. Following much deliberation with the bus driver Batman & Robin (Our Leaders Wally & Rob) managed to cram all 14 of us + our luggage onto the small island bus, much to the annoyance of all the other passengers.

Dumping all our wordly belongings in the hall way we were given the grand tour of our new home away from home.

All unpacked, beds made, tent pitched, introductions had, uno started w,e began our deliciously made evening meal. Some of us then bravely ventured out into the wild to discover two common seals tanning it up on a rock.

We are now waiting anxiously for our leader to tell us about the John Muir award and what crazy adventure we have actually signed ourselves up for!

Wish us luck!

Summary of the day: Train, Ferry, Bus, Bonding, Birds & Seals!

The Penultimate Day

On the penultimate day the group ventured across the Arran to the island's capital of Lamlash. Here they observed the non-native species which were taking over the land and choking the life out of Arran's humble plants. They spent the day measuring the invasive species, contributing to the aim of controlling their spread. 

The tired conservationists rewarded themselves with a sunny trip to the pier with the local delicacy- ice cream. 

After returning to Brodick the residential leaders decided these young explorers needed a new challenge- to make it across the bay to Shore Lodge, all alone. They forged new routes across the beach and terrifying golf course- careful not to annoy the locals. 

Finally, having successful navigated back to Shore Lodge, the general consensus was that a dip into the sea was a suitable reward. Despite the icy cold scottish waters they waded bravely into crystal clear waves. Slowly they got used to the chilly water (or perhaps their legs just went numb) and they showed off their prowess in swimming and a slightly dangerous game of catch the rock. 

Returning back to the lodge the soggy adventures enjoyed steaming showers and finally prepared the feast for the last night- homemade pizza followed by jelly and ice cream, a perfect conclusion. 

So now, as they gather and discuss all the information they have gleaned over the past 5 days, they reflect on their shared experiences. Another section of the Gold DofE complete- one step closer to the final goal. 

Monday 7th

This morning the group decided to not rise with the sun and search for elusive wildlife, but instead decided to catch up on much needed sleep and refuel for the busy day ahead - gorse bashing!

Gorse is a native (but invasive) species and was taking over the local growing field. We soon solved this as we set to work quickly with our bow saws and loppers, clearing the area from the prickly gorse. We were so engrossed with our tasks that the day soon disappeared and we left to go and fill our empty stomaches with lovely thai curry after well needed showers!

After dinner, the group then presented their very own findings about their chosen plants.